Sydney Blue Sox

The Sydney Blue Sox are a professional baseball team, and one of eight foundation teams in the re-formed Australian Baseball League (ABL). The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark (BISP),[1] one of the two venues used for baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when it was known as Blacktown Olympic Park. The Blue Sox hosted the league's Opening Day for the inaugural season on 6 November 2010, when they played against the Canberra Cavalry,[2] and won the game 1–0.[3] The Blue Sox are the only team in the Australian Baseball League to implement sabermetrics as a way to run their team with volunteer statistician, Anthony Rescan.[4]

Sydney Blue Sox
Current season:
2020–21 Australian Baseball League season
Team Details
LeagueAustralian Baseball League
CityBlacktown, New South Wales
BallparkBlacktown International Sportspark
Year founded2009
Inaugural season2010–11
Postseason
ABL ChampionshipsNil
Minor premierships1 (2010–11)
Uniforms
Colours  Carolina blue
  Black
  White
Management
Manager Shane Barclay
Owner Adam Dobb

Fan response was very positive for the Blue Sox in the lead up to their inaugural season. As the sole team in New South Wales, they attracted interest beyond the Sydney metropolitan region; as far north as Newcastle, which hosted the former ABL franchise Hunter Eagles throughout the 1990s. Five hundred season tickets were allocated for the 2010–11 season, which sold out two months prior to the season's start;[5] a waiting list for 2011–12 season tickets was soon created.[6] Such was the demand to see professional baseball return to Sydney, several games had sold out well in advance of their scheduled dates,[5] including the season opener.[7]

History

Formation

The creation of the ABL was announced at a press conference on the Gold Coast, at the Palm Meadows Baseball Complex, site of the Major League Baseball Australia Academy Program in July 2009.[8] Though there was speculation at the time that there may be as many as 10 teams in the competition, with teams possibly from New Zealand and Asia,[9] it wasn't until two months later that the number and location of teams was announced: Sydney would have one of five confirmed teams,[10] with Canberra eventually being successful in bidding for the sixth team.[11]

Names and colour schemes for each of the teams were determined through a competition launched in December 2009 called "Name Your ABL Team". Fans were asked to select from one of four options for the team's name or provide their own alternative. Though the four options provided for the Sydney team were "Sydney Sting", "Sydney Rocks", "Sydney Surf" and "Sydney Bluewave",[12] the name announced in August 2010 was "Sydney Blue Sox", with Sydney's colour being the blue traditionally associated with New South Wales sporting teams. The Blue Sox would have Blacktown Olympic Park as their home ground, which had been the New South Wales Patriots home in the Claxton Shield the previous three seasons.[1]

On 19 August 2010, Blue Sox signed Glenn Williams as manager for the 2010–11 season.[13] Williams had last played baseball in Australia with the Patriots in the 2007 Claxton Shield,[14] and played 13 games for the Minnesota Twins during the 2005 Major League Baseball season,[15] becoming the 17th Australian-born player to reach the Major Leagues.[16] The following month, Eddie Bray was appointed as general manager of the club, having held the same role with the Patriots in the 2010 Claxton Shield.[17]

Inaugural season
Main article: 2010–11 Sydney Blue Sox season
See also: 2010–11 Australian Baseball League season

Sydney's initial roster included two players—Chris Oxspring[18] and Koo Dae-Sung[19]—and manager Glenn Williams[20] with Major League experience. With Oxspring also taking on the role of pitching coach, and a number of players with experience from international league's including Nippon Professional Baseball and Korea Baseball Organization, and the late addition to the roster of active Major Leaguers Trent Oeltjen[21] and Rich Thompson,[22] Sydney had the most experienced roster of any of the teams in the league.

The Blue Sox hosted the inaugural game of the league, playing against the Canberra Cavalry at BOP, which they won 1–0.[23] They would go on to sweep the opening series, the first of three series sweeps they would accomplish through the season, the others two against the Adelaide Bite at home, and the Perth Heat in Perth at Baseball Park. Ironically, immediately after sweeping the Heat, Perth swept Sydney at BOP.

Sydney clinched first place in the league in their final game, beating the Cavalry at Narrabundah Ballpark in Canberra. They led Perth by half a game, with Adelaide a further game back, and the Melbourne Aces six games behind the Blue Sox. Finishing first earned Sydney the right to host the major semi-final series, in addition to a second chance if they lost the series, against the second-place Heat.[24] Perth maintained the perfect season record in Sydney, sweeping the series and qualifying directly to the championship series.[25]

The Bite, having defeated the Aces in the minor semi-final series faced the Blue Sox in the preliminary final series at BOP. Game one of the series featured Sydney starting pitcher David Welch, who threw the league's first no-hitter.[26] This would be Sydney's only win of the postseason, as Adelaide came back and won the series 2–1.[27]

Sydney players took three of the six season awards announced by the league:

Season records
Postseason
PF Preliminary final
MaSF Major semi-final
MiSF Minor semi-final
Awards
POY Pitcher of the Year
REL Reliever of the Year
ROY Rookie of the Year
GG Golden Glove
Season records
ABL
Season		 Team
Season		 Regular Season Results Postseason Awards
Finish Won Lost Pct. GB
2010–112010–11 1st2415.615— Lost MaSF series (Perth Heat 2–0)
Lost PF series (Adelaide Bite 2–1)		 Koo Dae-Sung (REL)
Trent Schmutter (ROY)
David Welch (POY)
2011–122011–12 4th2025.44414 Won MiSF series (Adelaide Bite 3–1)
Lost PF series (Melbourne Aces 3–2)		 Aidan Francis (ROY)
2012–132012–13 2nd2619.5780.5 Lost PF series (Perth Heat 2–0)
2013–142013–14 2nd2323.5009.0 Lost PF series (Canberra Cavalry 2–1)
2014–152014–15 3rd2224.4789.0 Lost PF series (Perth Heat 0–0)
2015–162015–16 4th2629.47310.5
2016–172016–17 5th1426.35010.5
2017–182017–18 5th1327.35010.5
2018–19 2018-19 2nd 25 15 .625 --- Lost PF series (Perth Heat 2-1) Gift Ngoepe (GG)

Todd van Steensel (REL)

2019–202019–20 7th13.523.5.4135.0
Overall record
  Won Lost Pct.
Regular season record 169.5182.5.482
Postseason record 714.333
All-time record 176.5196.5.473

Current roster
Sydney Blue Sox roster - 2020–21 ABL
Active RosterReassigned PlayersCoaching staff
Pitchers

Right-handed pitchers

  • 71 Alex Brook
  • 32 Todd Grattan
  • 17 Josh Guyer
  • 33 Dan Myrmell
  • 38 Adam Oller
  • -- Zac Shepherd
  • 99 Brad Simon

Left-handed pitchers

 Catchers
  • 16 Jake Burns

Infielders

  •  9 Max Brennen
  • 14 Carlos Cortes
  • 11 Trent D’Antonio
  • 20 Connor MacDonald
  • 73 Jimmy Nati *
  •  3 Manny Rodriguez
  • 34 Jacob Younis

Outfielders

Pitchers

  • -- Garrett Grantiz
  • -- Dylan Clarke

Outfielders

  • 10 Solomon Maguire
Manager
  • 29 Shane Barclay

Coaches


 : 7-day disabled list
* denotes Development List player

17 December 2020

Media

Sydney community radio station Triple H FM announced on 1 November 2010 they are to broadcast live every Blue Sox home match[31] as well as the Canberra away series.

Notable players

See also

References
  1. Schueller, Gary (5 August 2010). "Sydney Sporting 'Blue Sox' In New Australian Baseball League" (PDF). Sydney Blue Sox. Australian Baseball League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  2. Stockman, Jennifer (26 August 2010). "ABL Release Inaugural Season Schedule". Sydney Blue Sox. Australian Baseball League. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  3. "Canberra @ Sydney boxscore". Australian Baseball League. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  4. "Effectively Wild Episode 700: Sabermetrics, Australia-Style".
  5. Lewis, Daniel (29 October 2010). "Bases loaded: expats rush back for new league". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  6. "Sydney Blue Sox 'Wait List for 2011' Season Tickets". Sydney Blue Sox website. Sydney Blue Sox. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  7. "Sydney Blue Sox Tickets Sold Out .... for Season Opener on Sat Nov 6". Sydney Blue Sox. Australian Baseball Federation. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  8. Meers, Daniel (2 July 2009). "US pitches in and league has lift-off". The Gold Coast Bulletin. News Limited. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  9. "NZ offered place in Aussie baseball league". NZCity. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  10. Foster, Ben (25 August 2009). "Australian Baseball League - Player Information and Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF). Australian Baseball League. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  11. Fitzgerald, Peter (19 November 2009). "Canberra's national-league bid hits home run". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  12. "Name Your Sydney Team". Australian Baseball League. Australian Baseball Federation. Archived from the original on 2 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  13. Australian Associated Press (19 August 2010). "Williams to coach Sydney Blue Sox". ABC Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  14. "New South Wales Roster (2007 Claxton Shield)". 2010 Claxton Shield. Australian Baseball Federation. January 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  15. "Glenn Williams Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  16. "Players by Birthplace: Australia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  17. "Eddie Bray". Sydney Blue Sox. Australian Baseball League. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  18. "Chris Oxspring". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  19. "Dae-Sung Koo". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  20. "Glenn Williams". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  21. "Trent Oeltjen". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  22. "Rich Thompson". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  23. Warren, Adrian (6 November 2010). "Sydney kicks-off Baseball League with win". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  24. Australian Associated Press (23 January 2011). "Heat and Blue Sox to renew rivalry". Nine's Wide World of Sport. Ninemsn. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  25. Australian Associated Press (29 January 2011). "Perth make ABL championship decider". Nine's Wide World of Sport. Ninemsn. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  26. MacSmith, James (4 February 2011). "Sydney trashes Adelaide 8-0". Nine's Wide World of Sports. Ninemsn. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  27. Laidlaw, Robert (6 February 2011). "Bite triumph in thriller". The Advertiser. Adelaide: News Limited. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  28. Schroder, Mark (10 February 2011). "Sydney's Koo, Canberra's Gregorious Rewarded". Australian Baseball League. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  29. Lupica, Christopher (9 February 2011). "Schmutter takes Home ABL Rookie of the Year". Australian Baseball League. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  30. "Welch Wins Pitcher of the Year". Australian Baseball League. 11 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  31. "Program - Summer of baseball". Summer of Baseball. Triple H FM. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
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